


Five times Shiro broke the rules, and one time Keith did

by UrsaeMinoris, VirdisDrachen



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Fluff, Galaxy Garrison, Grief/Mourning, M/M, Past Adam/Shiro (Voltron), Pre-Canon, Pre-Kerberos Mission, Pre-Relationship, Sneaking Out, Stargazing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2021-02-22 21:50:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23500948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UrsaeMinoris/pseuds/UrsaeMinoris, https://archiveofourown.org/users/VirdisDrachen/pseuds/VirdisDrachen
Summary: Shiro might have the reputation of the Garrisons' goldenboy, and Keith been known as a troublemaker, but the first one to break the rules might not be the one you think!--The sound of footsteps alerted Shiro; he hid in a side corridor. He had been sneaking out of the Garrison after curfew often enough that he knew when there were patrols; but this one was unexpected. Maybe just some officer walking around on private business, despite the late hour. He held his breath, and saw a woman walk by, then heard the woosh of a door as she entered a room.
Relationships: Keith & Shiro (Voltron), Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 19





	Five times Shiro broke the rules, and one time Keith did

**Author's Note:**

> This is from a little roleplay we did together, that we edited to share with you! We hope you'll enjoy reading Shiro and Keith's shenanigans!

The sound of footsteps alerted Shiro; he hid in a side corridor. He had been sneaking out of the Garrison after curfew often enough that he knew when there were patrols; but this one was unexpected. Maybe just some officer walking around on private business, despite the late hour. He held his breath, and saw a woman walk by, then heard the woosh of a door as she entered a room.

Then, silence. Shiro checked the main corridor: the coast was clear. Good. Because Shiro couldn’t afford to get caught. He really deserved a break, after all he had had to deal with lately. And there was someone else that had seemed antsy lately, and who could use some fresh air too.

He advanced silently, until he came to a halt in front of a room's door. He adjusted the backpack on his shoulders a bit nervously, then knocked.

Keith was lying on his bed, doing some mindless reading in his Garrison issued data pad; It was some magazine about hoverbikes and such. Thoughts overflowed his mind, so he wasn't concentrating too much on the reading part. Rather, he was looking at the pretty pictures that appeared with every swipe of his finger. He had had enough reading for one day, and perhaps the entire week; after _just_ completing a particularly long and grueling homework, and surviving _two_ exams that were _brutal_ , mindless anything was exactly what his brain was craving. And, he was also trying hard not to focus on the anxiety of whether or not he passed the exams. He had studied, vehemently, but that didn't make him any less nervous. He had much to prove afterall.

But suddenly, in the middle of his little escape, came a knock on his door, that he had not been expecting, especially so late at night. Keith frowned as he got up, and wondered if it was that annoying Lance guy who was always, in Lance's own words, out to 'one-up him.' Groaning at the thought, Keith walked to the door and pressed on the panel to open it. He was ready to send Lance away, when instead he opened the door to none other than Shiro. 

"Shiro?" Keith almost stuttered in his surprise.

Keith seemed startled, which… fair. It was a bit late after all. At least he was still dressed. Shiro felt relieved to see his face. He had missed him, they had both been so busy lately. Shiro had been overworked with the tests and preparations for Kerberos. More often than not, he just fell in bed as soon as he was back in his room; sometimes, he even dozed off on his paperwork. 

Shiro was aware that Keith had been through some big exams, and felt a little guilty that he hadn’t been there to help him study. From what he’d heard, Keith had still done a good job, even if he wasn’t supposed to tell him that yet. 

“Ah, Keith, good, you’re up.” He hesitated. He hadn’t expected to be apprehensive about this, but here he was. He craved Keith’s company. Lately, things had been hectic, and even hanging out with Matt ended up with them talking about work. It felt like to most people, he was more “the pilot of the Kerberos Mission”, than he was… just Shiro. With Keith, he felt he could be himself. But maybe the poor guy just wanted to rest after all that school work; he looked pretty tired. Shiro cleared his throat. “I wanted to show you something.”

"Show me something?" Keith lifted an eyebrow while tilting his head in curiosity. Shiro nodded at his question but Keith thought that the young man was looking rather fidgety. Keith eyed him with that same confused look, to then lean to the side and peek at what was behind Shiro's back. Upon a closer look, Keith noticed the backpack Shiro carried. Furthermore, Shiro was dressed in his favorite leather jacket and other casual clothing, which clearly indicated that he was up to something. 

Keith didn't know what it was, but if they stayed in the open like that, they could get in trouble. He looked to both sides of the hallway before he grabbed Shiro's forearms and pulled him in. Just in case any of the patrols decided to come by. Shiro almost stumbled, taken by surprise, and Keith shut the door. 

"What is it you want to show me? Why show me at this hour and not wait until tomorrow? Won't you get in trouble for being here?" Keith asked almost in one breath, as he often did whenever he was really worried or exasperated. 

Shiro however didn't seem too concerned. Instead, he grinned, “It’s all right, I know what I’m doing. And yes, it has to be at night. I guess it could have been earlier, but I had some paperwork to finish.” He checked his phone, “There shouldn’t be another patrol in another… twenty-two minutes at least. So we should have enough time. Grab your coat, it must be chilly outside.”

Keith's single raised eyebrow arched even further as he stared at his friend up and down. He couldn't believe his ears as he picked up on the implication of what Shiro was saying. 

"Are... Are you suggesting we... _Sneak out?_ " Even as he said it he didn't believe it. Shiro? The Garrison's Golden Boy _breaking rules?_ Shiro, who always advised him to steer clear of trouble, to be patient and wise; was now telling him to be rebellious?

Interesting. Keith, despite what most, if not all, around him believed, was not one to actively seek out trouble, but his curiosity was piqued. And it showed in his expression.

On the other hand, hearing Keith say that aloud reminded Shiro that he had vouched for him... and that encouraging him to break the rules might not be what he was supposed to do. But after all, he was trying to help him, even if it involved some… minor breach of regulations. 

“It’s… not _that_ bad. I think it’s worth it.” Shiro tried his best to sound like a responsible adult. It used to work, but Keith was getting better at seeing through the facades Shiro tried to put up. He went for a reassuring tone: “Come on! We don’t have that much time.” The truth was he was getting impatient to get outside. Shiro might have been the one to teach Keith that “Patience yields focus”... but there was a reason his grand-father used to repeat this to _him_ when he was younger.

Keith could still not believe his ears, and he wondered if his brain had finally short-circuited from exhaustion, and he was having some sort of fever dream. But as Shiro urged him via excitement, he did as Shiro told him and grabbed his jacket, then put on his boots by jumping several times on one foot to keep his balance. He wasn't sure what was in Shiro's mind, but he had to admit that the curiosity was getting the best of him. And, hanging out with Shiro was always a plus.

Shiro couldn’t hide his smile. He had decided on this little excursion because he had felt worn out, and wanted a break. But since Keith accepted his invite, this little escapade was starting to look more like fun. “Ok! Just follow me. We have time until the next patrol, but keep quiet and stay alert! We could still come across someone.” He walked to the door, hand ready in front on the opening panel, and turned back to Keith: “Are you ready?”

That glint of mischief, Keith has never seen in Shiro before. But Keith found himself smirking along as he responded, "Let's waste no more time, old timer. " Shiro smirked back and opened the door. Keith squirmed between Shiro and the door frame to take the first peek for any patrols.

"Coast seems clear," Keith whispered as he carefully stepped out. His blood was pumping with both excitement and giddiness he hadn't felt in a long while.

“Stay close to me, rookie,” replied Shiro with a chuckle. Keith’s enthusiasm was contagious. And he deserved to wind down after so much hard work. Shiro walked next to Keith, careful of their surroundings.

It was good that he didn’t let his guard down too much. Soon enough, steps echoed the corridor they were about to enter. He gently pushed Keith back behind him, keeping them both close to the wall and in the shadows. It was the woman he had already avoided on his way to Keith. She was an officer he recognized, although he couldn't recall her name. Luckily she seemed lost in her thoughts, and didn’t pay attention to them. When she was out of sight, he gestured at Keith to follow him. Keith noded and did so.

They arrived in view of the teacher’s lounge. Shiro peered through the windows from afar, and confirmed it was empty. He hadn’t planned anything aside from getting past it without being noticed, but seeing it empty gave him an idea. 

“Wait for me, and stay down!” he whispered to Keith.

Keith opened his eyes wide as Shiro darted into the lounge. Keith tried to grab Shiro's bag to stop him from going but the man moved fast out of Keith's reach and Keith almost face-planted to the ground. 

"Shiro? What are you doing?! Shiro!" Keith whispered in vain. He had no choice but to stay calm and watch Shiro's back. 

Shiro tip-toed to the teachers’ room. It was closed. However, Iverson had once lent him an access card to the teachers’ facilities for an errand, and Shiro had… “forgotten” to give it back. No one had ever noticed. He stepped cautiously inside the silent room. It looked so different than it did during the day, when it was usually crowded with teachers and Garrison staff. He knew it well enough, as he had been inside more than once: to meet various officers; to meet Adam, too. That memory in particular stung, and he shoved it down as soon as it occurred.

Shiro had to be quick and stealthy; the large window meant that anyone passing in the corridor would be able to see him. Luckily, he knew what he was looking for without needing any light. He opened the drawer where the coffee break supplies were stored. And there was the box of cookies he remembered!

Taking the whole box would be too obvious, so he picked two cookies in one hand, and added two more in his backpack.

Meanwhile, Keith fidgeted as he waited for Shiro. Every so now and then, he would crane his neck to look out for any patrols. While many would just brush Keith off as nonchalant, and a discipline case, Keith was worried about being caught. He walked a thin line especially after that heated encounter with the so called James Griffin. And Shiro has been sticking his neck out for Keith since then; Shiro was putting his own reputation on the line for him, and was the only one who had seen beyond Keith's facade. The only who had taken the time to comprehend Keith's misunderstood bad temper, because of the hurting he's kept locked up since his dad's passing; feelings he had not known how to channel. Sure, he might show off a bit in the simulator from time to time, but he just loved pissing off Lance and that James guy. They were too easy. 

On the flip side, having some worries did not mean that Keith wasn't enjoying the little escapade. Even more so when the mastermind was the person Keith was daring to call his best friend. 

"Come on Shiro..." Keith murmured to himself, mostly because he was raring to go. And it would be a shame if they got caught before really doing anything. Keith had been looking away, when he got startled by a presence behind him. Turned out it was only Shiro, who looked triumphant. Keith breathed out in quiet relief and he was grinning along with Shiro. He was going to ask what Shiro had been looking for, but the answer came when Keith looked at Shiro's hand.

"Are those... _cookies?_ You seriously stopped for **cookies**?" Keith raised an eyebrow and wasn't sure whether to groan or chuckle in endearment.

“Well...yeah,” admitted Shiro, a bit sheepishly. He had expected Keith to be more impressed. He awkwardly held out a cookie to Keith, and bit in the second one. The rich taste of butter, sugar and chocolate filled his mouth. “They’re… worth it, you’ll see! Nothing like the dry stuff they give at the cafeteria. Iverson gets them from a local bakery. He doesn’t look like it, but he has a sweet tooth.” He interrupted himself and looked out for any sign of activity in their vicinity. 

Keith stared in disbelief as Shiro showed him the cookie. He was about to test Shiro's theory, but Shiro must have heard some noise; he stuffed the cookie in his jacket’s pocket, whispered to Keith to come, and moved, tugging Keith behind him. Keith didn't protest and kept up.

They arrived at one of the emergency exits. Every cadet who had paid attention to evacuation exercises knew that, while impossible to open from the outside, they were never locked, for security reasons -unless the Garrison went into lock-down. So it was commonly used by students for their escapades. Shiro was no exception. He opened the door, let Keith walk outside first, and followed him. He grabbed a flat stone strategically lying nearby, and placed it between the door and the frame, to keep the door from closing. It happened sometimes that patrols saw this, and took the stone away, locking the students out. Then, they had the choice either to ring at the entrance and be let in - and get in trouble... Or to wait until the main gates opened at 06:00 and try to come in unnoticed. In Shiro’s experience, the nights in the desert could get quite cold... On the other hand, Iverson would go ballistic if Shiro was caught _again_ , so close to the launch, and with none other than Keith! After all, he was supposed to be a good role model for Keith, and to keep him in check. 

The borrowed access card would allow them to get back in, if needed. But the use of an access card to enter the Garrison at night would be noticed, and investigated afterwards… At least, in that case, he could shoulder the blame alone, without getting Keith in trouble. Hopefully, the stone would stay in place and they would avoid any issues. They wouldn’t be away for long, anyway.

Shiro breathed out, and let his worries go, taking in the view. The sky was mesmerizing; the Milky Way was arching above them, and the moon, in it’s waxing crescent, looked like a benevolent smile. Not a cloud in sight to hide any of this spectacle. The air was still mild. The ground reverberated the heat accumulated during the day, but a chilly wind was playing with their hair. He breathed in the scents of dust mixed with dry grass, the distinctive clean odor of the creosote and the sweeter fragrance of the sage bushes. He felt like the tensions from his long day had already dissolved. Most of Shiro’s classmates, despite studying for space exploration, didn’t get Shiro’s need to see the stars. He hoped Keith would understand. He turned to the cadet, smiling sincerely. “It’s beautiful, hu?”

Keith hadn't expected the path they took for their exit. He made sure to keep it in mind though for whenever he feels overwhelmed in the future, and finds himself in the need of some fresh air. Once they were outside, Keith didn't regret the escape with Shiro at all. He instantly felt his shoulders relax as he looked up at the sky in awe... He would never get tired of watching a scene like that. 

"It's just like when I used to go out with my Pop..." After his dad died it was hard for Keith to go stargazing, the memory too painful…

And although his heart did ache, he was glad that he could stare at the stars again. And he was grateful to Shiro for that ... 

Shiro’s heart sank at Keith’s words. Keith was mostly quiet about his past, but when he opened up, Shiro wanted to give him the space to do so. Because it didn’t seem like many people in his life had been listening to him so far. Shiro still remembered how lonely Keith had looked when he had first met him. “Did you watch the stars with him?” he asked tentatively.

Only in that moment did Keith realize what he said out loud. But, rather than retracting and dismissing like he usually did, Keith sighed wistfully and opened up more to Shiro. 

"Yes. We used to do this very often. Especially when I was feeling down. He might've been a fireman, but he knew so much about the stars. A lot of what I know is thanks to him." Keith paused when he felt a subtle sting in his eyes. But he held on and continued, "But there was also this other way he looked at them … when he didn't look at them with wonder, he looked like he was ... sad."

“...sad?” Shiro echoed. He had hoped to help Keith relax with this excursion; but now he was worried he was stirring up bad memories, instead. “Look, Keith, I was meaning to take you to a good spot to see the stars and uh … do some astronomy ...” (It sounded a little too cheesy to admit it like that, so he half-jokingly fell back into his mentor role for a bit). ”But if you don't feel like it, that's ok. I'd understand.”

Keith snapped out of his reminiscing and looked at Shiro with alarm. "Wait, what, no! I just.... I just got reminded... Doesn't mean that I don't like it. In fact ... I'm... I'm glad for this Shiro. I hadn't gone stargazing since Pop died and you've reminded me of how much I actually like this." Keith offered him a small but genuine smile in the hopes that Shiro wouldn't feel bad. He was very grateful to him for being so thoughtful... The man was the first actual friend he's had.

Shiro smiled in return, relieved, and thankful to be able to share these moments with Keith. When he had met Keith, he had only wanted to lend a hand to someone in need, to give him the chance to realize his potential. He had never expected anything in return. He had never expected Keith, of all people, to be the one who would support him in difficult times… and right now, between his break-up with Adam, the stress of the preparations of the Kerberos mission, and the anxiousness of the constant health checks… Keith was like a lighthouse in the middle of a tempest. 

“Ok, come on then!” he added, playfully clapping Keith's back. Flashlights would have been too visible. But the stars and moon were enough to light their pass as they followed a small trail climbing up a nearby mesa. Arriving at the edge, Shiro stopped. Here, at day, the view over the desert stretched for miles; right now, the land was in the dark and they were surrounded by the starry skies. Shiro put down his backpack and rummaged through it to take the blanket he had brought. He sat down on the blanket and took the cookie out of his pocket again. “You should really give that cookie a try!”

Shiro had smiled at Keith with a sort of fondness. Keith liked that smile a lot because it made him feel so warm and so … appreciated ... 

Keith snapped out of his reverie when Shiro waved the cookie he had stolen from the teacher's lounge in front of him. He glanced at the sweet, briefly confused, then scoffed and rolled his eyes in amusement. 

"Alright, alright. Let's see what your big fuss is about." Keith grabbed the cookie from Shiro's hand and took his time unwrapping it, teasing Shiro a bit, before he finally took a bite. 

The cookie wasn't too soft, but not too hard either, and the chunks of chocolate were hefty, but not too overpowering. It was needless to say that Keith granted Shiro the point with a small hum of approval. 

"Oh wow ... This -mmm, this is _so good..._ " Keith commented as he chewed, savoring the cookie. But he was careful not to be rude and open his mouth; he talked through his teeth. Once he finally swallowed, he looked at the baked sweet, nodded at it, then nodded at Shiro. "Ok. You got me. This is one of the best cookies I've ever had. Only second best to the ones my Pa used to make for me. You would've loved his."

“I’m sure I would have,” Shiro acquiesced. Seeing Keith enjoy his gift had prompted him to laugh happily, but hearing him mention his dad again shifted his mood to a feeling of melancholy. Keith’s loss might have been years ago, it clearly was still an open wound, and Shiro could relate. 

Shiro laid the blanket on the ground and sat down on it, leaving some space for Keith. He unpacked some of the things he had brought on the blanket: the two remaining cookies, a thermos full of hot chocolate, and a handful of granola bars. Those were part of the “space food” he had to get used to while training for the mission. They weren’t bad, but he was a bit tired of them, and the “authorized” cookies were industrial, dry things. He took out the last two cookies from his raid in the teachers’ lounge and placed them carefully on the blanket too.

“So your dad used to bake, hu? My grandpa didn’t bake at all, he didn’t like sweet things too much. He’d sometimes bring back home pastries from a japanese bakery in town, like daifuku or taiyaki. I’m always reminded of him when I eat anything with red bean paste.” Shiro sighed, remembering Keith’s earlier remark about stargazing with his dad. “We used to watch the stars, as well. He’s the one who got me interested in astronomy.”

Seated next to Shiro, and very much helping himself to his second of the delicious cookies, Keith looked at Shiro with a saddened face. Shiro's tone sounded a little more nostalgic and perhaps a little wistful. Keith hoped that the later feeling was just him imagining things though, as he really didn’t want Shiro being sad. He opted to smile at Shiro and focused on the positive side of what Shiro said. "Oh really? I guess that's another thing we have in common then! Was your grandpa a professor or something?"

“Hmmm. He did teach some classes occasionally, and he was often invited as a guest lecturer too. He actually came to give lectures at the Galaxy Garrison a couple of times!” He winked at Keith which earned him a sweet little smile from the younger man. Watching the starry sky again, and locating the constellations his grand-father taught him to recognize, Shiro reminisced about the gentle old man who raised him. In his mind, he still referred to him as Sofu, as he used to call him in japanese. “He was a researcher in aerospace. Very passionate about it. He could talk about it for hours. I loved to listen to him and dream about space travel. I guess that’s why I feel at home with people like Sam Holt.”

Keith whistled, impressed. "Whoa, that's so cool Shiro! I can definitely see that you got your passion from him. Commander Holt is an amazing person too."

Shiro laughed, a little embarrassed. He hadn’t meant to brag about his Sofu. But he had just been saying the truth. “He was,” he said quietly, as he missed him so much. “And I am honored to be on Commander Holt’s team.” He paused. “I think he would have liked Commander Holt. I think… I hope he would have been proud of me working with him.”

“I’m sure he would be Shiro, and I can only imagine how awesome it must be to work with someone like Commander Holt.”

“Thank you, Keith,” Shiro was almost choking up. He was thankful the obscurity was hiding his face somewhat. He didn’t want Keith to see him lose his cool, but he was really touched by his support. “And I’m sure you’ll get your chance to work with Commander Holt soon enough!” He reached into his backpack, and brought out his portable telescope. The one that Sofu had gifted him for his eighteenth birthday. “Alright, enough with the sappiness! Want to watch the sky? It’s a perfect night to look at the moon… And… we can’t see Kerberos from here, but I can teach you how to find Pluto!”

Keith was going to take another bite out of his second cookie -Shiro was right, they were so _good!-_ when he whipped his head towards Shiro to look at him with starlit eyes. 

"Really?! Teach me!" Keith exclaimed with a sudden bout of enthusiasm that not even he was expecting. Shiro blinked in surprise, and Keith added a bit more bashful, even blushing a little in embarrassment, "Please?"

“Of course! We can start with the moon. Let me adjust the settings.” Keith’s excitement warmed Shiro’s heart. He had been worried about his reaction; some other students called him a nerd for doing ‘extra homework’ and didn’t get his passion for astronomy. Matt was his only friend who genuinely enjoyed watching the stars with him. Adam did come with him back then, but it was more to spend time together than out of interest for the skies.

Once the image was sharp on the telescope, Shiro took out his phone and displayed a map of the moon. He showed it to Keith: “Do you remember your Moon geography? See, the Sea of Tranquility is here, just east of the twin craters Ritter and Sabine. That’s where the International Moon Station is. You won’t be able to see it from here, but it’s there. That’s where I went on my first mission with Commander Holt. We’re going to stop off there on our way to Kerberos.” He patted Keith’s shoulder. “You’ll be up there some day, too. I know I keep saying this, and you might be sick of hearing it, but I mean it.”

Shiro put the telescope in Keith’s hands, and showed him how to adjust it if needed. He wanted Keith to see the real deal, not just some boring map he had to study. He remembered too well how disappointed he had been as a young cadet when he had discovered that the astronomy classes were mostly theoretical in the first years.

Keith was surprised when Shiro entrusted him with the telescope. It was silly when Keith thought about it, but no one ever truly trusted him … with anything. And to see that Shiro was always so friendly and encouraging was ... overwhelming, at times. 

"Do...you really think I will Shiro?" Keith hadn't intended to ask the question; it seemed that his feelings were doing the talking as he took the telescope. He dared not make eye contact with Shiro, though.

Shiro’s heart broke hearing his friend doubt himself again. He put his hand on Keith's shoulder, an usual gesture of comfort between them: “Keith, of course you will. You’re the best pilot of your class! You keep breaking records! I know you can do it.” He let his hand drop down to give Keith some space.“Patience yields focus, remember? Your turn will come soon. I look forward to flying with you one day.”

The smile on Keith's face was instant. In the last couple of years, all Keith had felt was him being a disappointment to everyone around him… and so he had acted as such. But Shiro was showing him such a different perspective of himself, that his heart dared to believe, and dream. 

"I'll be looking forward to that too. Just be careful that I don't end up taking your spotlight, old timer." He could never be like Shiro, even with his skills. But that was alright with Keith, he didn't need to take Shiro's place. And at least one person believing in him was enough.

Shiro laughed : “I’d like to see you try!” he teased. It was a sincere wish, though. He knew Keith had it in him to be on his level, or even to surpass him, and he wasn’t against some competition. It could feel lonely at the top. And he was so proud to see Keith’s progress. He really had had the right idea when he decided to give Keith a chance. He did hope they could be on the same missions, one day.

After some more playful banter, they started studying the skies. Keith found the Sea of Tranquility easily enough. Shiro then helped him locate Pluto; he had been monitoring it’s position on the three previous nights, which made it easier.

They kept talking about space, flying, and the Kerberos mission. They ate the two last cookies and drank the hot chocolate.

As the rhythm of the conversation slowed, Shiro noticed that Keith looked tired … and he realized that it was past midnight!

They made their way back to the Garrison. Luckily, the stone holding the door open was still there, so they could sneak back in without any issue. He brought Keith back to his dorm room and went back to his. As he prepared for bed, he caught himself smiling, thinking about this evening. Totally worth breaking a few rules for a good time like that one.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> We hope you enjoyed this! Share your thoughts with us here ine the comments, and find us at :
> 
> UrsaeMinoris: on twitter at <https://twitter.com/UrsaeMinoris2> , and on Pillowfort at <https://www.pillowfort.social/ursaeminoris>  
> VirdisDrachen: on twitter at <https://twitter.com/VirdisDrachen>


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